Lightning Yellow: Birth of a Champion
by Reborn Dark Phoenix
Summary: Red is an aspiring Trainer who begins his journey with his friends Blue & Leaf, and sets out with a Pikachu by his side. As he wins badges he'll make friends & enemies, face legends & save cities. His goal is to be the very best. But Blue and Leaf have that same goal. Who will succeed to be a Champion? Based on Pokémon Yellow, FRLG & Anime elements. Some BurningLeafshipping.
1. The Beginning of an Adventure

**_REBORN DARK PHOENIX PRESENTS_**

**LIGHTNING YELLOW: BIRTH OF A CHAMPION**

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Chapter 1: The Beginning of an Adventure

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***Pallet Town, Kanto, morning***

This was it...today was the day.

Within a single room in a house in the northern part of Pallet Town, a small and quaint area where the population of around 100 lived in peace and in a close-knit community, a boy of about 16 years of age stood by his bed as he got a yellow backpack ready for what seemed to be a journey ready to begin. This boy had messy jet black hair, a black shirt with a sleeveless red jacket, blue jeans, black wristbands, black fingerless gloves and red sneakers. What stood out the most about this boy, however, were his eyes. His irises were a regular shade of black, but at their center, where the pupils lay, a tinge of red burned brightly. This was his trademark feature.

This boy was Red, an aspiring Pokémon Master in the making...and today was the day his dreams would come true.

Today was the day Red would get his first Pokémon.

Red stuffed his spare clothes into his backpack, along with a spare Potion he had for a reason he didn't remember, and some berries that would be great for both him and the Pokémon he would choose. Satisfied with the contents of his travel backpack, he put it on and headed to the door of his room, where he stopped and turned back. His room...the bed, the computer, the tv and game system...and the memories he held here in this room. He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't going to miss this place; he had grown up here in Pallet Town, and he would definitely miss all the good times he had here. But he had the memories to reflect upon, and he would make new memories and have new stories to tell when he finally did return...

And Red would not come back until he was a master...a Champion. No matter how long it took.

With that, Red grabbed a red hat with a white PokéBall imprinted on the front off a hook next to the door and placed it on his head. He was ready.

When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he found his mother their waiting for him. She a beautiful woman in her early thirties, with purple hair and an orange dress with an apron over it. She had a smile on her face and a tear in her eyes. She was so proud; her son was growing up...but she also felt torn. Her only son was leaving home, something all mothers had to endure.

"Oh, Red," she said with a smile as she pulled him into. "I wish you didn't have to go..."

"Mom..." Red sighed in exasperation, even as he enveloped his arms around his mother lovingly. This...this was what he would miss the most: his mother's love. His mom meant the world to him.

"...Right," his mother responded as she let her son go. "All boys leave home someday. It said so on T.V. Oh, listen to me, speaking like I base my parenting skills on television," she added with a chuckle as she wiped the tear from her eye. "Well... Professor Oak is waiting for you. Your journey is starting...I'll miss you."

"Mom, you're acting like you'll never see me again. I AM coming back here before I leave so you can see the Pokémon I chose, remember?" Red asked.

"Yes, I know, but still..." his mom smiled.

"I'll be back soon," Red replied as he kissed his mother goodbye. "See you later mom!"

With that, the teenager stepped out into the outside world. Pallet Town was a peaceful area, mostly residential with a few small shops here and there. Most of the buildings were two story houses, most of which looked mostly identical to each other except for the different lawns and house colors. There was one building that stood out from the rest, though, and that was where Red was heading. At the southern part of Pallet Town, near the river that led out to the Kanto South Sea and to the distant Cinnabar Island, stood the world famous Lab of Professor Samuel Oak. This was where Red would get his first Pokémon and begin his journey.

As he walked to the Lab, Red could not stop thinking about the days, weeks & months to come. Him and his starter, making friends and forming the best and strongest team out there, and becoming unbeatable. He had dreamed about this since he was only a kid. He would have started his journey at the age of 11 like the plan was, but when he was nine, the Kanto Pokémon League had decided that allowing 11 year-olds to travel with creatures that had the power could level cities wasn't exactly the best of ideas, so they raised the minimum age of becoming a Trainer to 16. As a result, he and his two friends Blue & Leaf had to wait even longer to get their first Pokémon, but it was all worth the wait for this moment. He already knew what his starter would be, and together they would take on the world.

After 15 minutes of walking, Red arrived at the Oak Lab. Three assistants greeted him with smiles and a blonde intern gave him a way and a flirty wink, which caught the teen by surprise. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Red quickly made his way to the other side of the building towards Professor Oak's main lab area. It was filled with high tech equipment and computers, with wires sneaking across the floor towards a PokéBall holding capsule. On one of the walls was a large T.V. screen, which was currently airing a news segment. On one of the many chairs watching the news was a teenage boy of 16 years, with orange spiky hair, a black collared shirt with the top open, a blue pendant on his neck, dark purple pants, black shoes, purple wristbands and a dark silvery fanny pack on his waist.

This was Blue Oak, grandson of Professor Oak and Red's...well, more of a rival than a friend, although they were on relatively friendly terms.

"Hey, Blue," Red said as he made himself known.

"What?" Blue replied as he turned around, caught by surprise. Upon seeing his friend/rival, he calmed down. "Oh, it's only you, Red. Gramps isn't around. He's out doing some research or something."

"Well, you're blunt as always," Red remarked as as he stood behind Blue and started watching the news. "You know when he'll be back?"

"Nope," came the reply. Blue then looked back at Red. "I thought Leaf would be with you."

"I thought she'd be here with you."

Blue looked back to the screen with a smirk. "Last as always."

"What are you watching?" Red asked, changing the subject. Leaf was his best friend, and it always bothered him when Blue teased her about her always being last among the three of them.

"The report about the explosion on Cinnabar two days ago," Blue replied. "The scientists that were in the Lab Mansion still haven't been found alive, just some charred remains, so they're are being classified as dead. Dr. Fuji, the mansion owner, was caught in the explosion too. Blaine, the Gym Leader, is calling for the area to be closed off to the public completely because of how damaged it is, and that no one is to enter the mansion anymore. The Cinnabar Lab is saying it was an experiment gone horribly wrong...but...I don't know..."

"What do you mean?" Red asked, surprised by the last words Blue said.

"Red, look at all that destruction. Do you really think that one simple explosion, even of the magnitude of that one, could cause that much damage?" Red had no answer for Blue as they both kept watching the news segment. The Lab Mansion was in shambles, with two entire sections blown apart and out of existence, with the rest of the mansion in shambles, falling apart and smoldering away. Yes, it was a lot of destruction, but it was an explosion, after all. What else could possibly cause such destruction?

Soon, the news switched over to a segment on plans to reactivate the Power Plant east of Cerulean that, Blue turned the T.V. off and stood up. "C'mon, maybe we can find Gramps if we look around Pallet Town."

"Sure," the crimson eyed teenager replied. The two left the Lab and headed to the northern part of Pallet Town. About fifteen minutes later, Red decided that, after walking with no apparent destination, he had to ask Blue something.

"Blue?"

"Yeah?"

"Where the hell are we going?"

"I have no idea," was the reply.

"Are you serious?!" Red exclaimed. "I'm here following you and you don't even know where you're going?!"

"Funny, right?" the orange haired teenager laughed. Seeing the "seriously?" expression on Red's face he added, "Ok then, genius, where do you think we can find Gramps?" Before Red could respond, they were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Red! Blue!" Both boys turned to see a 16 year old brunette girl racing towards them. She wore a light blue sleeveless shirt, a red short skirt, black wristbands, blue puffy socks, white sneakers with a red stripe on each, a yellow satchel pack and a white hat with a red PokéBall imprinted on it.

This was Leaf Green, best friend of Red, and often the teasing subject but still friend of Blue.

"Hey Lea-OOOMPH!" Red began only to have the air knocked out of him as Leaf jumped into him and grabbed him into a hug. This was their usual method of greeting each, Leaf jumping at Red and grabbing him into a hug. "Good...to see...you too."

"Sorry," Leaf replied with a laugh & smile. "I'm just excited-can you believe it, we finally get to pick our first Pokémon today!"

"Um...how come I don't get a hello?" Blue asked in a fake whiny voice.

"Hi, Blue," the brunette replied with a smile. "Happy now?"

"I would be happier if I got a hug."

"What's the matter, jealous?" Leaf asked with a sly grin. Before Blue could answer though, Leaf suddenly remembered something and asked, "Hey, how come you guys aren't at the lab?"

"We were there, but Gramps isn't there; he's out doing some research or whatever, so me and Red came out seeing if we could try to find him. We're heading to the Pallet outskirts to see if he's there right now."

"The Pallet outskirts? Don't wild Pokémon sometimes come out there from the grass & trees on Route 1?"

"Only at night, Leaf. So, you wanna come with us?"

"Eh, sure."

"Awesome, let's go, guys!"

"Uh, Leaf?" Red spoke up.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"You can let go of me now," he responded, looking down at where she was still holding him.

"Oh, right, sorry!" Leaf exclaimed as she quickly let go of her best friend, her cute face becoming covered in an embarrassed blush.

"C'mon, let's go!" Blue said as he began walking, and the other two walking with him. Blue was ahead, but slowed his pace, allowing Red to pass him. Once the crimson eyed teenager was ahead, Blue instantly turned back to look at Leaf, who was still recovering from her embarrassment. He flashed her a teasing smile, and opened his mouth to say something before Leaf beat him to it.

"Shut up."

"You're hopeless," Blue teased.

"Whatever..."

"You'll have to tell him eventually; he won't be clueless forever. He's going to notice something sooner or later."

"Shut up," she muttered as she walked ahead of Blue to Red. The orangette simply laughed before he caught up to them. The trio soon came to the outskirts of Pallet Town, which were nothing more than grassy areas with a few trees and bushes with a dirt road in the middle that led out to Route 1, a terrain filled with wildlife, tall grass and Pokémon alike. In the distance, they could see a flock of Pidgey flying.

"Well, he isn't here either..." Red muttered, looking around.

"But you guys looked all over Pallet Town. If he's not here..." Leaf said as she turned towards Route 1.

"Huh...guess Gramps is out on Route 1," Blue finished for the brunette as he also looked out to Route 1. The three of them stared off towards that direction, unsure of what to do in that moment. After about a minute or so, Blue was the first to make a move...and it didn't seem to be the best.

"Blue, what are you doing?!" Red exclaimed as Blue began walking into Route 1, right into the path surrounded by tall grass.

"Well, we aren't going to find Gramps just standing there," the teen replied with a cocky smirk.

"Blue, there are wild Pokémon out there! What if some attack us?!" Leaf exclaimed in worry.

"Relax, if we just stick to the path, we'll be fine. Besides the only Pokémon here are Pidgey & Rattata, maybe a few Spearow!"

"Blue, this is the stupidest idea you've ever had! Get back here before you get hurt!" Red yelled.

"We'll be fine guys, sheesh!" Blue countered as he went deeper down the path.

"Dammit...Leaf," Red said as he turned to the brunette. "You stay here, ok? I'm going to go get this idiot." With that, Red dashed after his rival/friend.

"Be careful!" Leaf called out as she ran to the edge of the path where Route 1 met Pallet Town, as far as she dared to go.

"Blue, we need to get out of Route 1. The Pokémon here may not be much, but they can still attack us for invading their territory! Or they could attack as a pack or flock!"

"You're exaggerating, Red!"

"No I'm not! This is dangerous!"

"Well if you keep yelling like that, then yeah, it'll be dangerous! You might attract wild Pokémon!"

"Being here attracts wild Pokémon! Now let's go!"

"I'm not leaving until I find Gramps!"

"What the hell are you two doing?!"

Both boys and even Leaf looked down the path to see an old man in his early sixties and greying tan hair wearing a lab coat with a red shirt underneath along with khaki pants and brown shoes running towards them with a satchel on his arm.

"Gramps!" Blue yelled out. "We've been looking-!"

"Are you both insane?!" Professor Oak yelled as he got closer. "It's not safe! Wild Pokémon live in the tall grass around the path! You need your own Pokémon for protection!"

"It's not my fault!" Red tried to explain. "Blue just walked onto the path and I-!"

"Red! Blue!" Leaf yelled out as pointed towards the grass. "There's something coming your way!" Caught by surprise, both teenagers turned to where Leaf was pointing, and sure enough, something was rustling in the grass and headed their way.

"Stay right there, boys!" Oak said, seeing the danger and running faster towards Red & Blue.

"NIce going, Blue," Red snapped.

"It wasn't my fault!"

"You made me run here after you!"

"If you hadn't been yelling then-!"

At that moment, the rustling ceased as out of the grass came out the Pokémon responsible, right onto the path. The two boys were surprised at the Pokémon in front of them. They expected a Pidgey or Rattata, maybe even a Spearow. What came out of the brush was a Pokémon they had never knew to be native to Route 1. It was small, yellow with red cheeks and long ear with black tips, brown stripes on its back, stood on all fours, and had a lightning bolt shaped tail. It saw the two boys that were near it, and only thought one thing upon the sight of them.

Danger.

It stood on its hind legs and in an effort to scare them away, began crackling electricity from its cheeks as one sound escaped its mouth.

"Pikachu!"

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_**XXXXX-A/N-XXXXX**_

_**Hello, everyone, and welcome to Lightning Yellow: Birth of a Champion. Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, and there's definitely more to come :D As you may have guessed by now, this story will take elements from both Yellow and FRLG. This is pretty much what I think should've been an awesome remake of Pokémon Yellow (Seriously, did they really not consider the potential of that? The hacks are cool, yeah, but what if Nintendo actually got behind that idea? I hope if they do another remake of FRLG like they did for RSE, they make one for Yellow). **_

_**So, today's the day Red, Blue and Leaf begin their Pokémon journeys. Let's see what Fate has in store for them, shall we? And did anyone catch the hidden reference to what might happen later on?**_

_**This will be a Red centric story, but I'll be jumping to scenes on occasion to see what Leaf and Blue are doing on their own journeys :D**_

_**Oh and yeah, this is possibly a BurningLeafshipping story on the side…**_

_**Next chapter coming soon! Until next time, readers.**_

_**Oh and check out my other Pokemon story, "Emerald: May Takes Hoenn By Storm."**_


	2. I Choose You!

Chapter 2: I Choose You!

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"Is that...a Pikachu?" Blue wondered, momentarily forgetting his fear and anger.

"Yeah, it is," Red replied, also forgetting the moment's danger. "I thought they were only native to Viridian Forest and the area around the Kanto Power Plant. What's this…?"

"Pika…"

"Move, you too!" Oak yelled as he finally caught up to the boys, and not a moment too soon.

"CHU!"

The Pikachu immediately let loose a streak of electrical surges, the yellow energy crackling violently as it went flying right for Red and Blue, who had just barely managed to jump out of the way of the Thundershock attack. Both teens came crashing down onto the dirt path, getting a face full of dust in their face as a reward. This didn't stop the two boys from quickly scrambling up and making a mad dash to escape, however. The Pikachu saw this and prepared to fire another Thundershock, but caught a movement from the corner of its eye. It turned to see Professor Oak coming forward, a PokeBall in his hand.

"Boys, stand back-I'll handle this! Charmeleon, go!" the Professor exclaimed as he threw the Ball up into the air. In only a matter of seconds, the contraption burst open and out came a near blinding burst of light that quickly shot down to the ground, only a few feet in front of the wild Electric-Type. The light began taking a shape, taking only two seconds to materialize and reveal another Pokemon. This one was covered in scarlet red scales, stood on its hind legs and had a cream colored underside. It's long tail had a flame burning at the end, and all four of its limbs had three sharp claws procuring from each, with a single horn-shaped crest on its head.

"Meleon!" the Fire Type growled as it prepared for battle.

"Pika, Pika! Pikachu!" the Pikachu growled back as it prepared to defend itself. "Pika...CHU!" it yelled as it fired off another Thundershock.

"Dodge and use Slash, Charmeleon!" Oak commanded. With a strong leap, Charmeleon jumped into the air, the Thundershock crashing onto the ground below him. Charmeleon then shifted his momentum and began falling right towards Pikachu, his claws extending slightly as they took on a white glow. The Slash attack hit home as Charmeleon raked the Electric Type, sending it tumbling back a dozen feet.

"Pi...Pika," the Mouse Pokemon growled as it stood back up, clearly not done yet.

"It's definitely a feisty and tough little guy," Oak mused. "Now, Ember!" The Flame Pokémon instantly obeyed by firing hundreds of flaming projectiles at the Pikachu. To the Fire Type's surprise, Pikachu jumped high into the air and avoided the Ember, and responded in full with a Thundershock, jolting Charmeleon and making him stagger back a few steps. Pikachu didn't stop there, though.

"Pi...KAAAAA!" it snarled, sending multiple slightly red shockwaves right at Charmeleon, who momentarily winced before taking the attack.

"That was Growl," Leaf said to Red & Blue, who by now had come over to where she standing, out of Route 1 and harm's way. "Charmeleon's attack was lowered. Attacks like Slash now won't do as much."

"Indeed, child," Oak mused. He was wondering what to do next, but his thoughts were soon interrupted as Pikachu then dashed forward with amazing speed, a white streak blazing behind it. It actually gave Oak an idea: "Intercept that Quick Attack with Scary Face and then follow up with Ember!" Charmeleon quickly obeyed and in a split second his face contorted into a horrifying appearance, fangs and eyes and everything. The Pikachu stopped dead in its track in pure fright, and Charmeleon took that opening to fire Ember right in Pikachu's face, sending it flying back a couple dozen feet. The Electric type clearly looked exhausted, but refused to back down. In the time it took to blink, Charmeleon was engulfed in another Thundershock, making the Flame Pokémon cringe in pain.

"Don't give up yet, old friend," the Professor encouraged. "Just one more attack!"

"Char!" Charmeleon replied.

"Pika!" Pikachu challenged before dashing forward in another Quick Attack.

"Stop it with Dragon Rage!" Oak yelled out. As the Mouse Pokémon drew closer, the Charmeleon opened its jaw, revealing an orb of crackling dark orange draconian energy growing larger and larger. Just when Pikachu was a few feet away, Charmeleon jumped backwards and fired Dragon Rage, which Pikachu ran right into.

"PIKAAA!" it cried out, sent flying into the skies.

"Ok...go, PokéBall!" Oak exclaimed as he threw another PokéBall, this time right at Pikachu. Upon contact, the Ball opened and sucked in the Pikachu in a streak of red light before snapping shut and falling to the ground. One shake...two shakes...three shakes...and a click rang out, signaling the Pikachu's capture. Professor Oak picked up the PokéBall and pocketed it, sighing as he did so. "Well...that takes care of that problem. Good work, Charmeleon," he said, returning the Fire Type to his Ball.

"Char," he responded proudly before being sucked in.

"Phew, thanks, Gramps," Blue said with a sigh as the Professor walked over to the three teens. "It was a good thing and really lucky that you-"

"Lucky indeed, young man!" Oak interrupted sternly. "You acted extremely foolish right then, walking out into an area that you knew full well had wild Pokémon, and you went out without any protection at all! That was a very stupid act on your part, Blue. Raising you and Daisy on my own is hard enough without your shenanigans!"

"Sorry, Gramps," Blue replied sheepishly.

"As for you, Red," the Professor added to the red-eyed teen, "though going after Blue was with good intentions, it was also a bit reckless. However, you aren't my responsibility so I really can't tell you off as your mother would..."

"That's ok, Professor," Leaf remarked. "I got this."

"Wha-?" was all Red managed to get out before his best friend whacked him on the head.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Leaf demanded. "That was really stupid on your part, going out there."

"Well, someone had to get Blue after he pulled that off," Red tried to counter.

"But you could've been hurt! That Pikachu almost hit you with that Thundershock, and you could've been really hurt." Leaf was quiet for a second before she sighed and hugged him. "I just don't want to see my best friend get hurt. I was scared for you."

"Hey, what about me?!" Blue interjected with fake hurt.

"Look...I'm sorry I scared you, Leaf," Red replied as he returned the hug. "I guess maybe I could've thought my plan out a bit more. Thanks for caring, though; I appreciate it," he added with a smile.

"Ok...apology accepted," Leaf replied with a smile as she let Red go.

With a shake of his head and a sigh, Oak smiled and said, "Well, since that's over, we may as well head back to my lab. Today's a special day for you three, after all."

"Hell yeah!" Blue exclaimed with a smirk as he pumped his fist into the air. "Finally, we get to chose our Pokémon! I'll race you all there!" And before the other three could respond, the orangette raced off towards the Oak Lab.

"How I survived the last 14 years with that boy, I may never know," Professor Oak chuckled as he walked off in the direction his grandson had ran off in. Red and Leaf rolled their eyes and followed the Professor. There was never a dull moment around with Blue, that was for sure.

About five minutes into the walk, Leaf found herself wondering something, and she decided to ask, "Professor, why did you catch that Pikachu and not just defeat it in that battle? Wouldn't it have been easier to do that instead?"

"Yes it would have, child, but as you know, Pikachu aren't native to Route 1, and from what I've seen during my past week of outdoor research, this Pikachu has been disrupting Route 1's ecosystem, and having an impact on local wildlife. While it may be miniscule at the moment, it would slowly worsen as time progressed, so I took it upon myself to go out and capture it. I guess I have you kids to thank for finding it for me."

"What will you do with Pikachu?" Leaf asked.

"Actually, I don't know," Oak mused thoughtfully.

The three continued their trek to Oak Labs, a comfortable silence between them; Red & Leaf walked side by side while Oak walked ahead of them. Red took the time to plan out his first move after he'd get his starter. The obvious choice would be to take Route 1 north to Viridian City, which happened to be home to a gym. The Gym Leader, a mysterious man known only as Sakaki, was well known for being the most powerful of all of Kanto's eight Gym Leaders, however. As such, he refused to allow anyone to challenge his gym unless said challenger had the first seven badges, proving their skill as a Trainer. Red knew that that basically ruled that off the list until he had those seven badges, but he was confident that with the Starter he had in mind, and the team he would assemble throughout his journey, that he would succeed. Red figured that his best bet would be to head to Pewter City, the first Gym in the Pokémon League's official Kanto line up. The only other thought in his head was concerning his actual travel: while he wouldn't mind traveling with a companion, Red figured that a better option would be to go it alone. Sure, traveling with someone else would be great, but it could hinder him in the long run; if he traveled with someone, say Leaf or even Blue, they would see and possibly figure out counter strategies for any and all strategies he came up with. Red decided that if he was asked, he wouldn't turn down an offer to travel with a friend, but he would travel alone with only his Pokémon for the majority of his journey.

Leaf, however, was still uncertain of how her traveling situation was going to turn out. She knew that as a Trainer, coming up with her own strategies and techniques was essential to her success as well as the success of her Pokémon. Traveling with someone throughout the whole journey, even if it was a friend, that would end up a potential rival could come back to haunt her. On the other hand, she didn't want to travel by herself...or at least, without a certain someone. Leaf took a subtle glance at the red-eyed teen at her side. She wasn't quite sure how it happened, but for a year now, Leaf had developed a rather large crush on Red, her best friend since childhood, something Blue had discovered and constantly teased her about. There were many fond and happy memories between the two, and she cherished them all. Going on a journey and not seeing Red, it made her feel a bit sad and even a bit nervous, because she contemplated telling Red how she felt about him, yet she was also afraid that her feelings wouldn't be returned; Leaf also knew how much Red wanted to be a Pokémon Master, and she didn't want to hinder his dream. She wanted to travel alone and yet with Red. The internal argument raged inside her, so to distract her from herself, Leaf decided to satisfy her curiosity about something. "So Red," she asked, "do you know which starter you'll pick?"

At that, Red simply smiled; he was reminded of how much thought he had put into that decision, and he was fairly confident of what he chose in the end. He had wanted to keep it a surprise until he got to the lab, but he was able to tell his best friend anything. "Yeah, I do...I'm going to pick Charmander. I've wanted one for the longest time...a lot of powerful Trainers have a Charizard, like Lance from the Elite Four. Raising a Charmander will be tough, no doubt, but I know I can do it. I know that one day, Charmander and I will be at Indigo Plateau, with a team of unbeatable Pokémon, with Charmander as a Charizard by my side as I lead them to victory. Together, we can do it...I know we can."

"Quite the spirit you have there, Red," Professor Oak chuckled warmly."You're taking this quite to heart, and that is something a Trainer needs. With that attitude, I know you'll be capable of great things."

"Thanks, Professor," Red replied with a smile. "What about you, Leaf? You know what you'll be choosing?"

"Oh, yeah," Leaf replied with a wink, "but it's a surprise."

"Red! Leaf! Gramps! C'mon, I'm fed up with waiting!" The three looked up to see that they had arrived at the Oak Lab. Blue was leaning against the picket fence surrounding the Lab and its pastures, tapping his foot impatiently while trying to recapture what remained of his breath. "Let's get this show on the road, already!"

"Be patient, Blue," Oak sighed with a smile as he entered the Lab, the three teens in tow. The assistants were currently on their lunch break, and the four arrivals soon found the blonde intern in the back of the Lab, in Oak's main office & lab area, standing by the PokéBall machine capsule and writing something on a clipboard. Upon seeing her, Oak greeted her, "Hello, Emily. I trust that things are running smoothly here."

"Oh, Professor!" Emily the intern replied, surprised by Oak's sudden voice. "Um, yeah, everything is going great-um, you got a call from the League office at Indigo Plateau, and also received an email from them. Also a boy...um...arrived here about five minutes after the assistants went for lunch and ...um, well, he came to get a Pokémon to start his journey..."

"Ah, that's fine; where is he?" Oak asked as he placed the Pikachu's PokéBall in the capsule, which also served as a healing machine.

"He...well, left."

"Why did he...oh...Emily," Oak sighed, fearing that he knew what happened. He had been afraid this might happen, her being taken advantage of being she was still new to her position. "You gave him a Pokémon, didn't you?"

"Yeah...lemme guess, I shouldn't have, right?" Emily asked dejectedly as she face palmed. "Dammit...I'm sorry, Professor, I just didn't know what to do, and he was acting so stubborn and...and-!"

"Calm down Emily, it's OK," Oak said comfortingly, patting her shoulder, before sighing. "I know it wasn't your fault, child...although it does form a bit of a, well, problem now, concerning these three new Trainers...Emily, which Starter did that boy take?"

"He took the Charmander."

"Oh no," Leaf said with worry, glancing at Red.

"What's wrong?" Blue asked, before following her gaze before realizing what she meant. Red held a look of shock and dejection on his face. The Charmander...it was gone, taken by some other aspiring Trainer. The Pokemon he wanted to start his journey with was no longer available for him to take as his own. With a single thought in his mind, and realization painfully entering his mind, Red realized now that he...would be unable to start his journey with Leaf and Blue after all. He'd have to wait who knows how long. Blue, even though he'd be sympathetic at first, would never let this go, using it to tease Red any chance he got; and he couldn't bear to endure the comfort and pity that Leaf might give. It would embarrass him, and he couldn't let his best friend see him like this.

"Red...really wanted the Charmander," Leaf said with a sigh.

"Oh...crap," Blue replied with realization. "That sucks big time."

"Red, I'm really sorry," Emily sighed.

"No, it's...it's not your fault," Red sighed. "There's no need to apologize, really. It's alright...I guess I'll just...wait a little bit longer…"

"Oh, Red," Leaf lamented as she gave Red a hug.

"It's fine, really," Red replied with a small smile. "Look, both of you still need to pick your first Pokémon, right? Don't let this ruin your special day...go, both of you."

"But…" Leaf began.

"Leaf...please."

"Well...if you say so," Blue said with some uncertainty. Of course, he then grew a smirk on his face before grabbing the red-eyed teenager in a bro hug. "Watch man, next time you see me, I'll be on the road to being one of the greats-a Champion of the Pokémon League!"

"Yeah…" Red sighed, with Leaf looking on a bit sadly.

"Well...I'm glad you're handling this well," Oak said with a small smile, even though he knew that Red was devastated inside; he knew that the teen was awaiting this day so eagerly, ever since the League raised the minimum age of a Trainer. The Professor wished there was something he could do, but at the moment, the only starters he had were the two that remained. After a few seconds of internal debate, he decided to continue on. "Ok, Leaf and Blue, please come up to the capsule please." As the two other teens approached, Emily opened the capsule, revealing four PokéBall holding areas, one already empty and three other balls, including the recently caught Pikachu. "Now, normally, there are three Starters offered to Trainers at the beginning of their journey. There is the Fire Type, Charmander...but that option is obviously off the table. That leaves two options for the both of you: Bulbasaur, the Grass/Poison Type…" he gestured to one PokéBall, before continuing, "and Squirtle, the Water Type." He then gestured to another PokéBall. "Now, have you both considered your choices and decided on your partners?"

"I sure have," Blue smirked as he grabbed a PokéBall. "With this little guy, we'll take Kanto by storm and become Champions!" With that, the orangette teenager threw the PokéBall into the air and yelled, "Ok, I choose you, Squirtle!" The PokéBall flew into the air and snapped open, a burst of near blinding white light flashing out and taking the form of a small, light-blue colored bipedal turtle-like Pokémon with a brown shell and cream underbelly and a short curled tail.

"Squirtle Squirt Squirtle!" it cried out as it took a pose in front of Blue, a smile on its face.

"Hey, Squirtle, I'm Blue Oak, your new Trainer," Blue smiled. "And together, we're going to reach the top and be champions! You in?"

"Squirtle!" the Squirtle replied a grin, pumping its fist into the air, instantly copying Blue's cocky attitude.

"Well, I guess that leaves me only one choice!" Leaf exclaimed happily as she took the other PokéBall set for the Starters. "Luckily, this one was my choice all along. Ok, I choose you, Bulbasaur!" She threw the PokeBall into the air, and a snap and flash of light later, a small reptilian like Pokémon of turquoise color with dark blue spots on its body and a green bulb on its back jumped out and onto the ground.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" it greeted happily.

"Hello, Bulbasaur," Leaf said with a smile as she bent down to see Bulbasaur better. "I'm Leaf, and I'm your new Trainer. You ready to go on a journey together? We'll make new friends and become the best team around."

"Saur Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur responded happily as it walked over to her and nuzzled into Leaf's hand.

"Congratulations, you two," Oak beamed. "It seems the both of them have taken quite a liking to you both. I'm sure you'll go far in your journeys."

"Yeah, they look like cool Pokémon," Red said, happy for his friends. "You'll all have a good time."

"Yeah," Leaf replied before frowning a bit. "I guess...this is goodbye?"

"What are you talking about?" Blue smirked. "You didn't plan on leaving so soon, right? Besides, it's only until Red gets his first Pokémon, then we'll all see each other again at some point or another."

"Yeah, Blue's right," Red replied with a small smile. "You'll see me soon enough, and when you do I'll be on my way to being a Champion Master!"

"I think I'll have something to say about that," Blue smirked. "Besides, once you get that Charmander, you'll have to get past me and Squirtle!"

"Squirtle!"

"Oh we will!...though it may not even be a Charmander," Red replied with a sight and scratch of the back of his neck. "I want a Pokémon so bad, I'll probably just take the first one Professor Oak gets. Any will do, I guess."

Oak, hearing those words, sighed with a laugh and turned to the PokéBall capsule machine and left the teens to their bickering. As he was about to close the machine, though, he caught sight of the one PokéBall that remained, the one containing Pikachu. A sudden thought crossed the old man's mind; he knew that Red really loved Pokémon, and had eagerly waited for this day, only to be disappointed by a turn of fate. Although...Oak could do something a bit different... "It IS rather unconventional, and isn't usually given to brand new Trainers...but Red, I know the boy well, and I know that he would welcome this chance. It's no Charmander, but..." Oak mused to himself.

"I want to show my mom my new Bulbasaur before I leave," Leaf said, holding the Grass/Poison Type in her arms.

"And I wanna get a good head start and reach Viridian City before night fall," Blue announced, Squirtle at his side.

"I guess I'll come with you," Red shrugged.

"Red, before you go...I think I can make this day worthwhile for you, after all," Oak said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Leaf and Blue also stopped in their tracks, curious to see what the Professor meant.

"You really want a Pokémon, don't you?"

"...more than anything, Professor," Red replied. "I don't even think I care which one anymore."

"In that case...there is one more Pokémon here you can take," Oak smiled, holding out Pikachu's PokéBall.

"You..." Red replied, clearly surprised. "You really mean it?"

"I do; I honestly have no reason to keep this Pikachu, and I have no other idea with what to do with it. It isn't typically given to beginning Trainers, but I have full confidence you will be able to go far with Pikachu. It's yours."

"Thanks, Professor!" Red exclaimed as he eagerly took the PokéBall, looking at it in joy before throwing it into the air. "Ok then, I choose you, Pikachu!" A flash of light later, and the Electric Type was standing before the red-eyed teen.

"Pika Pikachu," it said as it appeared. It then looked up and was surprised to see the same red-eyed human it thought was a threat earlier, although the Pikachu could easily see this was no longer the case. "Pika?"

"Hey, Pikachu," Red said with a small smile as he bent down to better see his new partner. "I'm Red, and I'm your new Trainer."

"Pi?" Pikachu replied in confusion and curiosity. Red made to scratch its head, but to his surprise Pikachu took a step back away from him, a wary but yet curious look in the Mouse Pokémon's eyes.

"It looks like Pikachu still needs a little time to get used to you," Professor Oak mused. "Give it a bit of time."

"You know, now that it isn't attacking us, Pikachu looks kind of cute," Leaf remarked, a smile growing on her face.

"Well, looks like you got a Pokémon, Red," Blue added with a smirk. "Still, my Pokémon looks a lot tougher than yours." Squirtle then flexed his arms in an attempt to seem strong.

"Whatever," Red replied, still focused on Pikachu. "Don't worry, I know you're tougher than that Squirtle," he then added to his Starter.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked confusingly.

"Ok, well I'm off to show my mom my new Bulbasaur, and then I'm off on a new adventure," Leaf proclaimed, Bulbasaur happily agreeing.

"Same here, I guess," Red replied as he readied Pikachu's PokéBall. "Ok, Pikachu return." The Electric type only blinked and cocked its head to its side as was sucked into the ball. "I'm ready to-"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Blue suddenly exclaimed, claiming the attention of the four other humans. "Guys, let's check out our Pokémon! C'mon, I'll take either of you on!"

"Squirtle Squirtle Squirt Squirtle Squirt!" Blue's Squirtle added, ready to face any opponent and show Blue what it was made of.

"Bulba Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur replied, wiggling out of Leaf's arms and jumping onto the ground. "Saur Bulba!" It too wanted to show its new Trainer what it could do.

"It looks like your Bulbasaur is eager to show you you made the right choice," Oak laughed.

"Really, Bulbasaur?" Leaf asked. The Grass/Poison type nodded. "Ok then...we accept, Blue!

A minute later, the three teens were in the front lawn of the Lab, with Oak acting as referee and Emily & Red watching Leaf battle Blue. "This will be a 1 on 1 battle, with no time limit," Oak announced. "The Trainer whose Pokémon knocks out the other is the winner. Begin!"

"Bulbasaur is a Grass type, so it should have an advantage over a Water type like Squirtle," Emily remarked.

"Yeah," Red answered, "but Blue also knows a lot about Pokémon thanks to Professor Oak. It could still go either way..."

"Ready, Bulbasaur?" Leaf asked.

"Bulba!"

"Ready, Squirtle?" Blue asked.

"Squirt!"

"Then start off with Tackle!" Instantly, the Water Type obeyed, rushing forward as it diverted momentum to the front of its body, intending to slam itself into its opponent.

Leaf was quick to respond, however. "Bulbasaur, counter with your own Tackle attack!" Without any hesitation, the Seed Pokémon also rushed forward, doing the same thing in terms of momentum. With a loud slam, both Starters met in the center of the makeshift battlefield, straining to make the other give an inch while trying to hold their own ground as well. The scene was tense as both Trainers tried to think of a way to take an advantage, and it wasn't long before one did.

"Ok, Squirtle use Bubble right on Bulbasaur's face!" Blue said. With a deep breath, Squirtle began a bombardment of see through bluish bubbles, all of which exploded upon contact with Bulbasaur's face, making it cry out and forcing it to jump away from Squirtle. Even though its typing made it naturally resistant to Water moves, getting a Bubble to the face at point blank range hurt like hell. "Ok, awesome Squirtle!" Blue exclaimed.

"Squirtle!"

"Bulbasaur, are you ok?!" Leaf exclaimed, worried about Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur!" came the reply. It was definitely eager for payback.

"Ok, then let's try Vine Whip!" Crying out its name, Bulbasaur then summoned out two dark green vines from under its bulb and they immediately lashed out in Squirtle's direction. Both made contact upon the Tiny Turtle Pokémon's underbelly with a loud snapping sound, and Squirtle immediately was sent flying into the air as it cried out in pain.

"No, Squirtle!" Blue exclaimed.

"Ok Bulbasaur, when it comes down, Tackle it!" Leaf said. With a confirming cry of its name, Bulbasaur began its charge as Squirtle began its descent.

Luckily for the Water Type, Blue got an idea. "Squirtle, use Withdraw to cushion your fall!" Squirtle, hearing its Trainer, instantly withdrew its head, tail and limbs into its shell, not only raising its defense capabilities but allowing it to take the brunt of the fall without taking as much damage as it would have. Leaf was too late in ordering Bulbasaur to stop its Tackle, resulting in the Grass/Poison Starter hurting itself upon hitting Squirtle's shell. "Ok, now hit it with your Rapid Spin!"

"Bulbasaur, use Growl, quickly," Leaf called out hurriedly.

"Bul...BAAAA!" it snarled, the same mildly red shockwaves heading to and hitting Squirtle. As a result, Rapid Spin didn't do as much as it would have, but with the hits Bulbasaur had taken already, it still hurt a bit.

"Ok, now let's try your Leech Seed!" Leaf cried out, and Bulbasaur's bulb immediately fired a brownish-red seed straight for Squirtle.

"Dodge it!" Blue cried out, to which Squirtle barely managed to do.

"Fire Leech Seed again!"

"Stop them with Bubble!"

As Bulbasaur was just about to fire another Leech Seed, Squirtle let loose another Bubble barrage, hitting both Bulbasaur and the ground around it. Startled, it misfired the Leech Seed, missing Squirtle completely. Bulbasaur was now dazed and now feeling the exhaustion.

"Ok Squirtle, let's end this now! Rapid Spin!" Blue yelled out triumphantly.

"Dodge, Bulbasaur!" Leaf yelled out. It was was no use; Bulbasaur was still dazed from Squirtle's Bubble, and as a result it wasn't able to dodge in time and took the full force of Rapid Spin. "Bulbasaur, no!" After Squirtle fell back from its Rapid Spin, Bulbasaur stood tall...for about three seconds before its legs gave out and it collapsed, eyes closed and unconscious.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle. Blue and Squirtle are the winners!" Professor Oak declared.

"Yeah, Squirtle! Our first win! The first step on the road to being a Champion!" Blue cheered triumphantly.

"Squirtle Squirt Squirtle Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out as well, proud that it had won its first ever match for Blue.

"Bulbasaur, are you ok?" Leaf said with concern as she picked up her Starter and craddled it like a baby.

"Bulba..." came the dejected and sad reply, which told Leaf Bulbasaur was feeling bad it let her down.

"Hey, don't feel bad; you did your best and that's all I can ask for. Yeah, I'm sad we lost, but I'm proud of you. Always remember that," Leaf said as she gave Bulbasaur a warm hug and a kiss on its forehead. At this, Bulbasaur nuzzled into her cheek and cooed softly, glad that Leaf wasn't disappointed in it.

"Huh, you were right, Red," Emily said with surprise.

"Yeah," he replied distractedly, paying more attention to Leaf. She really loved her Pokémon, he noted, even though she had Bulbasaur for less than 20 minutes. That was just Leaf for you, Red thought with a smile; she was kind and loving to anyone, human or Pokémon. She was almost always cheerful and happy, which was why seeing her a bit down just never seemed right to him. He never likes seeing his best friend down...it bothered him for some reason, and even those she hid it well, he could tell she was still a bit down from losing.

"I must say, for your first time, both of you battled exceptionally well. Both of you will definitely go far, as will your Pokémon," Oak said with pride.

"Thanks, Professor," Leaf smiled meekly.

"There's no surprise," Blue replied with a cocky smirk. He then turned to Red. "So Red, you up for a battle, too?"

"Sure, let's go!" the red-eyed teen replied before running to where Leaf was and took her place while she took a few steps back, eager to watch the battle.

"Let's watch from here, Bulbasaur," she told her Starter, who nodded.

"Ok, Pikachu I choose you!" Red yelled as he called out his Starter. In a flash of light, the Mouse Pokémon landed on the grass, clearly happy to be out of its PokéBall again. With a cry of its name, it took in its surroundings and upon seeing Blue and Squirtle across from it, Pikachu turned to Red with that same wary yet curious look and gave a simple, "Pi?"

"This is our first battle, Pikachu! Are you ready to go?" Red said.

Pikachu nodded and replying with a, "Pikachu," before turning back to face their opponents and dropping down to all fours, signaling its readiness for battle as electricity crackled from its cheeks. It was time to see how well Red & Pikachu worked together.

"Ok Squirtle, time for win number two! We beat a Grass type, so if we play our cards right, we can beat an Electric type, too!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle replied, eagerly ready for another battle.

"Ok, same rules as the last battle," Professor Oak said. "Begin!"

"Start off with Bubble!" Blue exclaimed with confidence.

"Intercept with Quick Attack!" Red countered.

Squirtle took in a deep breath to once again fire the barrage of bubbles, but never got the chance to use the attack. Upon hearing Red's command, Pikachu literally raced across the field with a blinding light trailing behind it. The Electric type rammed its entire weight into Squirtle's stomach, sending the Water type flying across the field and spitting its Bubble attack into the air.

"Squirtle, get up!" Blue exclaimed. After collecting its breath again, Squirtle was able to get back up, glaring at Pikachu, who glared right back. "Ok, pay them back with Rapid Spin!" Squirtle quickly withdrew into its shell and began spinning straight for Pikachu.

"Use Growl and then dodge!" Red said, to which Pikachu quickly obeyed. Mild red shockwaves bombarded Squirtle as it came closer, but Pikachu managed to jump up in the air before Squirtle landed a hit.

"It's in the air! Use Bubble now!" Blue yelled out. Squirtle voiced its confirmation and instantly fired the Water attack at Pikachu before Red could counter in any way, allowing the bubbles to bombard the Mouse Pokémon.

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled in pain as it was hit, and the pain increased as it plummeted and hit the ground.

"Pikachu!" Red exclaimed.

"Damn, that looked like it hurt," Leaf said in slight concern. Bulbasaur voiced its agreement.

"Good shot, Squirtle!" Blue cheered.

"Squirtle!" the Water starter replied confidently.

"Can you keep going?" Red asked his Starter.

"Pi...Pika!" Pikachu replied, ready to keep battling.

"Great! Thundershock, now!"

"Pika...CHUUUU!" came the response as Pikachu jumped into the air and fired a bolt of yellow lightning from its body directly upon Squirtle, who was engulfed by the surge of electricity. Blue and Squirtle had been caught off guard.

"SQUIRTLE!"

"No, Squirtle! Hang in there!" Blue cried out.

"Oooh, that looked like it hurt too," Leaf said in awe.

"Bulbasaur Bulba."

"I know you can keep fighting Squirtle, you're stronger than that!" Blue yelled. Not wanting to let Blue down, Squirtle got up, ready to fight again. "Yeah, I knew you could do it! Tackle, now!"

"Meet it head on with Quick Attack!" Red countered.

"Squirt!"

"Pika!"

Both Pokémon charged at each other, Squirtle diverting its momentum towards the front of its body, and Pikachu speeding with momentum and a white light trailing behind. Both clashed head on, the smack of their bodies hitting echoing as they struggled against each other for a number of seconds before they jumped away from each other. Now that Pikachu hadn't caught Squirtle by surprise like earlier, their physical strength appeared to equal.

"Quick Attack again!"

"Withdraw, now!"

Squirtle's natural instincts proved faster as Pikachu rammed right into its shell, making it cry out in pain as it bounced off. Squirtle had both protected itself and raised its defenses.

"Use Tail Whip!" Red ordered. Pikachu cried out its confirmation as it whipped around and began swatting its tail against Squirtle's shell, forcing its defense to wear away. "Pi Ka, Pi Ka, Pi Ka..."

"Rapid Spin!" Blue called out suddenly. Squirtle's shell immediately began spinning, forcing itself against Pikachu's tail and slammed into the Electric type and sending it flying across the field.

"Pika!"

"Awesome, Squirtle!" Blue cheered.

"Squirtle!" the Tiny Turtle Pokémon smiled...until sparks of electricity danced across its body, making it freeze and wince. "Squirt...Squirtle...!"

"No...not now!" Blue yelled in disbelief, recognizing this from his studies with his grandfather.

"What just happened?!" Leaf exclaimed in shock.

"Pikachu's ability, Static," Professor Oak answered in surprise. "It paralyzed Squirtle when Rapid Spin hit Pikachu."

"This is our chance, Pikachu, so let's give it our all!" Red yelled with determination.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed before suddenly running towards Squirtle, who was still struggling with the paralysis, before jumping into the air. Red wondered what Pikachu was doing, being he hadn't called out any attack. Then he saw Pikachu's tail glow slightly, as Pikachu began descending towards Squirtle. "Chuuuuu...PIKA!" And as suddenly as it began, the glow on Pikachu's tail disappeared, causing a surprised look to appear on its face. "Pika?"

"Pikachu, use Thundershock now!" Red yelled, regaining his Starter's attention.

"Squirtle, get outta the way!" Blue yelled out to his own Starter.

Pikachu quickly refocused and with a yell of its name, it unleashed another bolt of electricity right at Squirtle. By this time, though, Squirtle had finally fought off the paralysis and managed to jump out of the bolt's path. Unfortunately, its tail didn't get out of the way in time and was hit by the Thundershock, thus still engulfing Squirtle with electricity.

"SQUIRTLE SQUIRTLE!"

"No, Squirtle!" Blue yelled. The attack then stopped as Pikachu jumped back onto the ground, breathing heavily from the battle. Squirtle stood for about a few seconds before it fell on the ground face down, unconscious.

"Squirtle is unable to battle!" Oak declared. "Red & Pikachu are the winners!"

"We did it, Pikachu!" Red cheered.

"Pikachu!" came the reply before it collapsed onto its rear and let out a long breath. It was tired from that battle, and Red could see that as he came over to the Electric type. He began to scratch Pikachu between the ears as praise, which caught Pikachu by surprise before it realized that that felt kind of good.

"You did great, Pikachu. You deserve a nice long rest. Return, Pikachu," Red said as he held up Pikachu's PokéBall. Pikachu could only look up with surprise as it was recalled.

"Squirtle..." the Water Type said dejected, knowing it had lost the battle for Blue.

"Good job, Squirtle, you did your best," Blue said with a small smile as he bent down next to Squirtle. "Take a rest for now. Return, Squirtle." With that, Blue recalled his Starter. 'It did pretty well against Leaf's Bulbasaur, but lost to Red's Pikachu even though it did good,' the orangette thought to himself. 'I know we're still starting out, and I wanted Squirtle forever, but...I didn't pick the wrong Pokémon, did I?'

"Good battle, both of you," Professor Oak said as Red and Leaf (who by now had returned Bulbasaur) approached Blue, Emily with the Professor.

"Yeah, that was really an awesome battle," Leaf agreed, a look of awe on her face. "You both were great, and your Pokémon too."

"Indeed. Now, all three of you should remember-think of this as a learning experience, both for you and your Pokémon. Battling and training help you bond together, and it helps strengthen your Pokémon, allowing them to grow and eventually even evolve if possible. Training by battling side by side with your Pokémon allows you both to grow stronger, both physically and as one unit."

"Yeah...you're right, Gramps," Blue smiled. "Ok! I'll battle and train my Pokémon to toughen them up. And soon, I'm going to be the best Trainer in Kanto!"

"Not if I beat you to it," Red smirked.

"Or I beat you both to it," Leaf smiled, making both boys glare at her.

"Ah to be young and full of energy," Oak laughed. "Now I know you three are all anxious to start your journeys, but your Pokémon are all rather tired from the battles. Let's go inside and heal them up. They won't be able to protect you in their current conditions, now will they? And it would be quite embarrassing to have to run back here to Pallet Town when your journey has barely begun because a wild Pokémon your own weakened Pokémon..."

* * *

Red's Pokémon:

1) Pikachu (?):

Ability: Static

Moves: Thundershock, Growl, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, (?)

* * *

Leaf's Pokémon:

1) Bulbasaur (?):

Ability: Overgrow

Moves: Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip, Leech Seed

* * *

Blue's Pokémon:

1) Squirtle (?):

Ability: Torrent

Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Bubble, Rapid Spin

* * *

**_XXXXX-A/N-XXXXX_**

**_Hopefully, the battles were well written out. Tell me how you guys liked them._**

**_Now, as the end shows, I'll be showing the Red, Blue and Leaf's Pokemon at the end of every chapter, as well as badges when they get them, and the team's moves. As for moves, for this story, I'll be giving Pokemon the max of 10 moves. Their genders will remain unknown until the three Trainers get their PokeDexes._**

**_As an afterthought, there may be some elements taken from the anime._**

**_Well, there's chapter two. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Remember to leave a review and constructive criticism and such._**

**_Next chapter coming soon, so until next time._**


	3. On The Road to Viridian City!

_**Forgot to lead off with this…**_

_**Disclaimer: Pokemon is owned by the Pokemon Company and Nintendo**_

* * *

Chapter 3: On The Road to Viridian City!

* * *

"Ok, your Pokémon are all back to tip top shape," Oak said with a smile as he came back with the three Pokemon of his newest Trainers. The three of them looked rather pleased...well, Bulbasaur and Squirtle did; Pikachu still had that look on its face.

"Thanks, Professor," Leaf replied with a smile, taking Bulbasaur into her arms.

"Yeah, thanks Gramps," added Blue as Squirtle jumped into his arms.

"Thanks, Professor Oak," Red finished as he picked up Pikachu. "Feeling better, Pikachu?"

"Pika Pikachu," replied the Mouse Pokémon. That had been an...odd experience for the Electric type, who was used to eating whatever Berries it could find to heal itself in the wild. That human machine had healed Pikachu in mere minutes. Of course to Bulbasaur and Squirtle, it was nothing new.

"Well, guys, it's been fun and all, but it's time I head out on my own," Blue said as Squirtle jumped down to the ground. "Places to go, Pokémon to catch and badges to win! I'm sure we'll see each other again soon, though. And when we do, I'll show you guys just how strong Squirtle and I will get!"

"Squirt Squirtle!" the Water Type exclaimed in confidence, mirroring Blue's enthusiasm.

"And I'll show you how much stronger Bulbasaur and I get, right Bulbasaur?" Leaf countered.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur exclaimed.

"So...are we just going to stand here or are we leaving?" Red asked, Pikachu jumping from his arms onto the ground. At those words, Leaf and Blue stopped their bickering and looked at Red. The three new Trainers looked at each other and soon broke into laughter. Professor Oak couldn't help but look fondly at the trio. They really were great friends, ever since childhood.

"Yeah, you're right, Red," Blue said with a smirk. "Ok Squirtle, return for now," he added to his Pokémon, who was sucked into the PokéBall in a flash of red light. "Til the next time. Thanks again, Gramps, and I'll call you when I get to Viridian City. Leaf and Red, I'll see you guys around soon enough. Smell ya later!" And with his signature catchphrase said, Blue Oak left, embarking on his Pokémon journey, with nothing but a fanny pack with supplies and his Squirtle by his side.

Red and Leaf waited a few more seconds after Blue left before chuckling to themselves. "I still can't remember when he started saying that, even after all these years," Leaf remarked.

"That's just Blue for you," Red replied with a grin before turning to Pikachu. "Ok, Pikachu, it's time we head out, too. Return." Pikachu was then sucked into its Ball.

"Same for your, Bulbasaur," Leaf added to her own Starter. "I'll be calling you back out really soon, though, so hang in there."

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur replied happily before Leaf recalled it into its PokéBall.

"Well, I guess we should head out now," Leaf said to Red as the red-eyed teen approached her.

"Yeah," Red began, "besides we still need to show-ahhh!" He never finished, however, as from his belt a white burst of energy & light shot out, forming into Pikachu. The Electric type Pokémon immediately gave a sound of content as it shook its body.

"Wha-? Pikachu, what are you doing out of your PokéBall?" Red asked in surprise.

"Pika, Pika Pi Pikachupi Pikachu Chu Pika Pi Pika Pika Pi Chu Pika Pi Pi," Pikachu said, waving its arms frantically and gesturing to the PokéBall in Red's hand.

"Hmmm, interesting," Oak mused to himself.

"Look, Pikachu, you have to go back into your Ball," Red explained, holding up the PokéBall. "Pikachu, return!" But to Red & Leaf's shock, and Oak's amusement & interest, Pikachu jumped out of the way of his PokéBall's red beam of light, yelling frantically. This happened two more times, with Pikachu evading being recalled.

"I...don't understand," Red said as he looked at the PokéBall and back to Pikachu.

"I think I do," Professor Oak offered as he walked over to Red and Leaf. "It appears to rather prefer not being cooped up in its PokéBall. It would rather stay outside, and see everything that the world has to offer."

"Pika!" Pikachu chirped in agreement.

"Can Pokémon do that?" Leaf asked with curiosity-driven awe.

"It's rare, yes, but not unheard of," Oak replied. "Think of it as a better way for you and Pikachu to bond better, and to become closer as Trainer and Pokémon."

"Well, ok, then," Red smiled. "If that's how Pikachu wants to travel, then it's fine with me." As Red pocketed his Starter's PokéBall, Pikachu let out a sigh of relief. It had been afraid that its desire to stay outside would go unnoticed; Pikachu was a Pokémon that had enjoyed its freedom before it had been captured, and it loved the outside world. Though it was now a Trainer's Pokémon, it didn't want to be confined inside a PokéBall. If it could remain free and still be a human's Pokémon, then that's what it'd would do. Pikachu was quite glad this human, Red, would allow it. Red was a strange human...there was definitely something about him that Pikachu found itself pulled to. How else could they have battled so well together on their first time?

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

***Route 1, entrance to Pallet Town; a half hour later***

Having gone to see their mothers one final time and having an exchange of heartfelt goodbyes and googly eyes over Pikachu & Bulbasaur, Red and Leaf currently found themselves standing at the beginning of Route 1, finally embarking onto the single greatest adventure of their lives. Pikachu was currently standing at Red's feet, and wondering why they had all come back over here?

"This is it," Red said, the excitement showing in his voice. "It's time to show the world what we're made off. On the other side of this forest is a championship waiting for me to conquer it! Together, you and I will get stronger and make new friends to help us along the way, so are you ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika Chu," the Electric Type replied as it looked up at the red-eyed Trainer. A whole other world? New places to explore? The chance to become stronger? Pikachu had to admit, travelling with Red might not be such a bad thing after all.

"So, you're heading to Viridian then," Leaf asked as she adjusted her hat.

"Yep; knowing Blue, he's probably already halfway there by now. I'll have to catch up soon and fast. What about you?"

"Same thing, but I'll be training up Bulbasaur along the way," the brunette replied as she held up her Starter's PokéBall. "I want to make sure it gets stronger by the next time we're in another battle."

"You just want to beat Blue the next time, don't you," her best friend smirked.

"...Maybe," Leaf giggled.

"Of course," Red laughed. "So...since we're heading the same way, why not head there together?"

"Together?" Leaf asked, trying to hide the very light blush developing on her cheeks. "Are...are you sure? I mean, I'd love-I don't want to, you know-"

"Leaf, it's fine," the red-eyed teen chuckled. "If anything, just for a while, at least until we get to Viridian. I mean, if you want to, you know..."

"Start off my journey with my best friend? You kidding me?" Leaf asked with a giggle. "Of course Red, I'd love to."

"Awesome," Red began to say before he was again hug-jumped by the brunette, causing them both to fall onto the ground, which then resulted in what always happens when Leaf got Red like this: laughter from them both.

An hour later, both teens were walking along Route 1, Pikachu & Bulbasaur walking slightly ahead. In the last hour that they had been walking, they had encountered quite the number of wild Pokémon. Pidgey and Rattata mostly, but there had been the occasional Spearow. Professor Oak was right about wild Pokémon attacking whatever entered their territory. Luckily, Pikachu and Bulbasaur were more than capable of protecting their masters. All it took were a few Thundershocks and Vine Whips and that was that. It was certainly good experience for the two Starters. For whatever reason, they had yet to see any other Trainers. When not battling alongside their Pokémon, the two teens talked about random stuff. They still had a long ways to go to get to Viridian; being that it was now just past noon, they still had a walk of a few more hours. With luck, they'd get to Viridian City by the beginnings of sunset.

"Pikachu sure seems to be getting more attached to you," Leaf commented as she took a bite of her sandwich. They had stopped for a small lunch break under a tree, eating the sandwiches their mothers had packed. Pikachu and Bulbasaur were eating some Pokémon food the Professor had given the two Trainers.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Red chuckled as he began scratching the Electric Type between the ears. Pikachu, who had been nibbling on its food, stopped at the amazing feeling it was now enjoying and relaxed into the teen's touch, letting out a soft and content, "Pikaaaaa..." It was true; as their walk to Viridian had carried on and Red & Pikachu battled side by side, it seemed that they were getting better in sync with each other, and their movements flowed with each other. When not in battle, Red could see that Pikachu would walk closer and closer to him, and that wary look etched with curiosity had almost disappeared. Pikachu was beginning to better trust Red.

"Aww, so cute," Leaf giggled as she looked over to her Bulbasaur. She then began softly scratching behind its ears. "What about you, Bulbasaur, do you like it, too?"

"Bulbaaa..." the Grass/Poison type cooed, melting into Leaf's touch. Leaf couldn't help but smile at the reaction.

"So, how much longer until we get to Viridian?" Leaf asked.

"Another couple of hours," Red answered as he looked at the sun. "Hopefully, we can get there by sunset."

"Uh, I don't think I'll last that long," Leaf sighed with a huff. "The walk is so boring! I can only enjoy battling wild Pokémon for so long, and there are no Trainers around here!"

"We'll probably find some in Viridian City, Leaf. Calm down, it's not the end of the world," Red said trying to calm her down as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry," the brunette replied sheepishly, a blush on her cheeks from her contact with Red, but the boy took it as embarrassment from her rant. "How are you not getting frustrated about your next battle not coming soon?"

"Oh no, I am pretty frustrated alright," Red smirked. "I'm just better than you at hiding it."

"Oh!" Leaf mock-gasped as she playfully punched her best friend in the shoulder. "That is not true, take that back!"

A few dozen seconds of pointless arguing ended with yet another bout of laughter. The two best friends enjoyed the other's company, no doubt about it. Gathering their stuff, Red had to admit though-the lack of Trainers here on Route 1 was getting to him. Like Leaf, he too wanted another Trainer battle, to see how Pikachu faired against the Pokémon of other Trainers and how far the two of them had come in their short while together. Leaf was thinking along the same lines; she wanted another Trainer Battle right here and now, and there was no one to give her what she wanted. All that was around them were wild Pokemon that she knew Bulbasaur could handle. Leaf wanted a challenge but there was no one to give her said challenge. The only other human around her was...wait a minute...

"Alright, time to hit the road again," Red declared as he shouldered his pack, Pikachu at his feet and ready to go, too. He looked to his best friend...and was surprised to see a mischievous grin on her face. "Leaf...wwwhy are you looking at me like that?"

"You know...you and I never had the chance to battle back at the Lab," Leaf said slyly. "What do you say, Red, you up for a battle with me?"

"A battle with me?" Red asked in surprise. It didn't last long, though, as excitement began coursing through his body at the prospect of a real challenge. A grin spread onto his face as he replied, "Sure, you're on!"

A minute later, the teens stood 15 feet apart, Pikachu and Bulbasaur standing in front of their Trainers. All four of them were itching for and anticipating this battle.

"I'll start off," Leaf exclaimed. "Bulbasaur start off with Vine Whip!"

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Red countered.

"Bulbasaur!" the Grass/Poison Starter cried out in confirmation, sending out its vines to whip the Electric Type, only for it to be completely caught off guard as Squirtle had been at Oak's Lab with Pikachu's Quick Attack. Bulbasaur was sent flying back a couple of feet upon Pikachu hitting it.

"Bulbasaur, are you ok!?" Leaf exclaimed in worry.

"Don't let up, Pikachu, and use Thundershock!" Red pressed on.

"Pika...CHU!" The Mouse Pokémon cried out as it unleashed a jolt of electrical power, the yellow lightning bolt cascading onto Bulbasaur. Unlike Squirtle however, who writhered and yelled upon being hit by the attack, Bulbasaur seemed to take it, the only signs of discomfort being it gritting its teeth and narrowing its eyes.

"Damn, it barely did anything?" Red said in shock, with Pikachu reciprocating his confusion.

"Red did you forget?" Leaf grinned. "Electric type moves aren't very effective against Grass Pokémon. Ok, Bulbasaur, fire a Leech Seed!"

"Bulba!" came the response as Bulbasaur's bulb fired a brownish colored seed, which began to race like a bullet directly for Pikachu.

"Dodge, Pikachu!" Red cried out. Pikachu managed to jump out of the way just in time, the Leech Seed hitting the ground where it had just been standing. Upon impact, the seed let loose a nasty looking array of vines that begun to burrow into the ground. "Whoa that was lucky..."

"Vine Whip!"

"Saur!"

"PIKA!" Pikachu cried out as it was hit by a pair of thick vines, sending it crashing back towards Red. Pikachu wasn't one to just give up, however, and got right back despite the bits of pain it felt. "Pika Pikachu..." the Electric Type growled, its cheeks sparking in anticipation.

"Yeah, let's show them we don't get beat so easily," Red exclaimed, his fists clenched in anticipation. "Use Tail Whip!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out as he dashed forward at Bulbasaur. Jumping into the air, Pikachu landed tail first on the Seed Pokémon, making Bulbasaur stagger back, but Pikachu didn't stop there. Pikachu kept slapping its tail on Bulbasaur's face, each hit making the Grass/Poison Type to back up a step. All the while, Tail Whip's hits softened up Bulbasaur's skin, wearing its defenses down and making it more prone to damage.

"Bulbasaur, quick get outta there!" Leaf called out in vain.

"Now back off and then use Quick Attack!" Red pressed on. With a cry of confirmation, the Mouse Pokémon jumped back several feet only to race back forward with a blinding shiny light of energy flowing behind it, Pikachu using its momentum to slam right into Bulbasaur. Needless to say, after those Tail Whips...that hurt.

"Bulba!" Leaf's Starter cried out in pain as it went flying and then crashed at Leaf's feet. With a struggle, the Grass/Poison Type got back up on its feet, refusing to fall..

"Bulbasaur sure is tough, Leaf," Red remarked. "All that training really paid off."

"Pikachu Pika," Pikachu agreed with a smile. The praise made Bulbasaur blush and smile.

"Thanks," Leaf smiled at the compliment. "Pikachu is pretty strong, too, and not only that, but it's really fast." As both Trainer and his Pokémon smiled at the praise, Leaf suddenly got an idea, but it had to be timed perfectly. "Bulbasaur, are you still good to fight?"

"Bulba!" was the response. Bulbasaur was definitely not out of the fight yet.

"Ok then, use Vine Whip!"

"Same trick, huh?" Red smirked as Bulbasaur summoned its vines. "Pikachu, same as before, use Quick Attack!"

"Cancel for Leech Seed!"

"Wait what?!" Red exclaimed, but it was too late. By the time Pikachu registered what had happened, it had already begun its Quick Attack. Bulbasaur, however, was ready and received its Trainer's order and carried it out to the T. Pikachu, carried by its speed and momentum, could do nothing as a brown seed hit it like a bullet. Vines and roots sprouted and took a hold of Pikachu, making the Electric Type fumble and stumble onto the ground, its Quick Attack cancelled. That wasn't the worst of it, though; with squeals of pain, Pikachu was engulfed in a nasty looking burst of red light, making it cringe as it felt itself getting weaker. "No, Pikachu!" Red yelled out, shocked at what he was seeing. The red light then released its hold on Pikachu and then flew towards Bulbasaur, absorbing it but turning a vivid light green as it did. As Bulbasaur was absorbed by the light, it felt its body get stronger and the pain started disappearing. The Seed Pokémon knew now that it could still win.

"Alright, way to go Bulbasaur!" Leaf cheered.

"Pikachu, can you keep going?" Red asked with concern. Pikachu was starting to look tired, and with that Leech Seed now on Pikachu, its health was slowly being stolen by Bulbasaur. Unless some miracle occurred, Pikachu was going to lose this.

That however did not mean in anyway that Pikachu was ready to give up. There was still plenty of fight in it. "Pika!" the Mouse Pokémon growled as it stares defiantly at his opponents.

"Ok, then Pikachu, let's show them we're still in this! Use Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled as it sped forward at a blinding speed, the bright light trailing behind it. Then to Red's shock, Pikachu jumped up into the air and began falling for Bulbasaur, and as it did in Professor Oak's Lab, its tail began glowing a silvery white. "Chuuu...PIKA!" Pikachu cried out.

"What the-!?" Leaf exclaimed in shock.

"Bulba?!" Bulbasaur exclaimed with the same surprise.

"Pikachu...?" Red said in shock.

And just like in Oak's Lab, the glow disappeared only seconds later, shocking Pikachu. "Pika?"

Luckily, the momentum from Quick Attack was still in effect, so Bulbasaur still took an attack head on. It didn't make much of a difference, though, as Leech Seed once again took effect.

"C'mon, before they can recover, Bulbasaur, grab Pikachu with Vine Whip!" Leaf commanded, and her Starter wasted no time. In less than three seconds, Pikachu was bound tightly.

"Force it off with Thundershock!" Red commanded, and a crackle cheeks & electricity later, Pikachu unleashed another burst of yellow lightning, and instead of going upwards, the current travelled through the vines and straight to Bulbasaur. With more of a connection to the electricity, the normally ineffective attack did more damage.

"Bul...Ba..." the Grass/Poison type growled as it was hit.

"Now charge with Quick Attack!"

"Meet it with Tackle!"

Both attacks met head on, but with Pikachu's Tail Whip hits from earlier, Bulbasaur's defenses were weaker than normal, and so Pikachu overpowered Bulbasaur easily, and thus also managed to force Bulbasaur's vines off its body.

"Good work Pikachu!" Red cheered.

"Pika Pika," the electric mouse replied with a smile...before crying out in pain as Leech Seed once again took effect. "PIKA!"

"Ok, Bulbasaur, let's end this now with Vine Whip!" Leaf exclaimed.

Bulbasaur, however, had other ideas. It didn't know what it was, but it felt something click in its mind, as if something had just activated. In that moment, pure instinct took over. "Bulba...SAUR!" Bulbasaur yelled out as, to the awe of Leaf & surprise of Red & Pikachu, a flurry of sharp & spinning leaves flew out of the bottom of its bulb, heading right for Pikachu.

"Oh...my...God!" Leaf exclaimed as she jumped for joy. "Bulbasaur, you learned Razor Leaf!"

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur said in joy.

"Wow, that's great, you two," Red congratulated the two...before he remembered where he was. "Wait, no it's not! Pikachu, dodge-!"

**KAPOW!**

"...it."

That proved to be too much for Pikachu. With Leech Seed constantly stealing its health, and the hit from the powerful Razor Leaf, the Electric Type collapsed in complete exhaustion, unable to continue the battle.

"We won, Bulbasaur!" Leaf said with glee as she ran over and hugged her beloved Pokémon, who was all too willing to accept the affection.

Pikachu, meanwhile, felt terrible. It had failed Red in battle. It had given its all, and yet still lost. How would Red react? It had beaten that Squirtle, dozens of wild Pidgey & Rattata and now it had lost to its friend Bulbasaur... "Pi?" Pikachu said in surprise as it felt Red pick it up.

"Hey, are you ok, Pikachu?" Red asked. "You fought pretty hard, just like always, and I'm proud of you. You looked pretty upset you lost, but I want you to know that no matter what, I'm proud of you. You always put your best, and that's all I can ever ask you for. Thanks Pikachu, now you deserve a nice long rest." With that, Red gave Pikachu a warm, and Pikachu couldn't help but melt into it and snuggle right into its Trainer with a content chirp of its name. Hearing those words and knowing that he would never be disappointed in it if it lost, it all made Pikachu proud and glad to be Red's Starter Pokémon.

"Hey, Red," Leaf asked as she and Bulbasaur approached the two. "Is Pikachu ok?"

"Yeah, it just needs some rest. I'm almost out of Potion, though, so Pikachu probably shouldn't battle at least until we get to Viridian."

"Speaking of that, shouldn't we be getting there as fast as we can?"

"Well, if we didn't have that battle..."

"Looks like someone's mad they lost..." Leaf said teasingly.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

Pikachu & Bulbasaur only looked on at their Trainers with shock at them going from mature young adults to little children. Both Pokémon just sweat dropped and shook their heads.

"So Red, what was that thing Pikachu tried to do in the battle?" Leaf asked the red-eyed teen.

"I really have no idea," replied Red as they both looked at Pikachu. "It tried it back at the Lab when we battled Blue...but...i just don't know."

"Pi?"

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

***Pokémon Center, Viridian City, sunset***

Having arrived at Viridian City an hour and a hlf before sunset, Blue had immediately gone about to do some exploring. Sure, he'd been to Viridiam City before with Gramps and Daisy, but he had never had the full Viridian City experience. Viridian was by no means the largest city in the Kanto Region-no that title belonged to Saffron City. However, Viridian was quite big indeed. The skyline went up about 1,000 ft with the officer towers and radio towers; a modest height for an average city in Kanto. There were a number of buildings and Towers, a Trainers School (which he never went to being he was studying under his grandfather), a decently stocked PokéMart (he had to remember to stock up on supplies before heading to the next city up north), its own lake with a park (which happened go have a guy who would help a Trainer teach Dream Eater to any able Pokémon), and a lot of other stuff. Unfortunately, he couldn't explore the full entirety of the city due to some issue with a bunch of drunk old people blocking the pass to the norther side of the city. The police certainly were keeping busy with that; apparently these old people were protesting something and had gotten drunk in the process, and now their ringleader was refusing to let others pass to either the northern or southern parts of the Viridian (something about private property, if Blue heard correctly). Regardless of that, Blue and Squirtle enjoyed themselves for a good while before heading to the Pokémon Center. Returning his Starter, Blue headed back into the Pokémon Center and for the Nurses Station. Standing there was a beautiful pink haired woman, probably late twenties, wearing nurses' clothing and standing beside her was a Pokémon standing at about a bit more than half her height, of completely pink coloration with small stubby hands & feet, pink hair-like strands on its oval shaped head, and an egg in its front pouch, and it wore a Nurse's hat. It looked like a giant walking pink egg.

"Chansey, Chansey."

"Nurse Joy, could you heal my Pokémon please?" Blue asked as he placed his PokéBall on the counter.

"Of course," Nurse Joy replied with a sweet smile. "It won't take long at all, just a few minutes." Blue thanked her & then went over to the video phones the Pokémon Center had for public use and called home. He knew that his Gramps wouldn't be home at this time, so that left his sister Daisy, three years older than him, to answer.

"Hey, little brother," Daisy answered with a smile. "Looks like you managed to get to Viridian by nightfall after all."

"You doubted me?" Blue smirked. "I'm hurt by your lack of faith in me. You think I can't make it past Viridian City?"

"Well, being that you forgot this," Daisy replied as she held up a rolled up paper in a cylindrical container to the screen, "yes, I think you can't."

Blue stared at the object in the young woman's hand before he asked with a deadpan voice, "That's my map, isn't it?"

"Yes," Daisy smirked back. "You forgot it."

"Dammit..." the orangette groaned. "They don't have any maps in the Mart or here in the Center. I really have to go back & get it?!"

"Well, about that..."

"What do you mean?"

"You know how Grandpa can sometimes get a bit...forgetful...in his excitement?"

"Yeah, he can get like that. It's a good thing that today he didn't..." Blue trailed off, seeing where this was going. "Oh don't tell me..."

"Yep," Daisy replied, trying not to smile. "You have to come back here anyways. In fact, so does Red and Leaf, so if you see them, let them know."

Blue groaned. "Great...ok, I'll head back tomorrow morning, but I haven't seen either of those two since I left this morning. I'll see if they checked in before I leave tomorrow, but there's no guarantee I'll see them. Heck, they might have already passed through Viridian and left."

"Blue? Your Squirtle is back to full health!" Nurse Joy called out.

"Daisy, I gotta go," the orangette said to his sister. "I'll see you tomorrow when I come back to Pallet Town."

"Okay, good night," Daisy replied before the call ended. Blue then headed over to Nurse Joy and got Squirtle back. Calling the Water Type out, he told it, "Ok, Squirtle, so we're going to be a little bit side tracked; tomorrow we gotta go back to Pallet and see Gramps for something that he forgot to mention. So, first thing tomorrow, we go back to Pallet, ok?"

"Squirt," Squirtle replied with a nod.

"Ok then, let's catch some shut up so we can be up early. Return Squirtle," Blue said as he recalled his Water Type. Turning back to Nurse Joy, he asked, "Nurse Joy, do you have any rooms I can stay in for the night?"

"Of course," Joy replied with a smile. Opening a cabinet under the counter, she rummaged a bit before grabbing a box and taking a set of keys from it. "Here you go, young man; your room is on the second floor, Room 13. Enjoy your stay and please do not hesitate to ask about anything."

"Thanks, ma'am," the orangette replied before leaving for upstairs and finding his room. Immediately upon entering the room, he took off his fanny pack and threw it onto the ground, and jumped onto the bed, where an hour later he was fast asleep.

**XXX**

***At the same time...***

"Ok here we are," Red said with a smile as he, Leaf, Pikachu and Bulbasuar walked through the crowds in Viridian. "Viridian City."

"It looks amazing," Leaf said with awe as she looked left and right and up and down. She had beem here only once in her life, and to see it again was quite amazing.

Pikachu and Bulbasaur were besides themselves. Pallet Town was an amazing sight in itself, but Viridian City was something else entirely. Building and various man made structures went as far as the eye could see. Yes, Viridian was not the largest of Kanto's cities, but it sure was quite a large city. Definitely larger than Pallet Town, at least. They felt nothing at the moment but the urge to go everywhere and explore to their hearts' content. But they had to stay close to their Trainers, lest they get lost in the maze of this man made jungle.

"I guess we should head to the Pokémon Center for now," Leaf suggested. "You still have to heal up Pikachu, and besides there isn't much we can do at this time of the day. It's almost night, so there's no point in exploring."

"Yeah, you're right," Red agreed as he took in the sights. "Maybe we can explore tomorrow."

After a bit more walking, the duo and their Pokémon arrived at the Center. They expected to go in and have their Pokémon healed up, but when they got in, they saw the pink haired Nurse Joy and her Chansey assitant speaking to the PokéMart manager. Seeing that she was the only Nurse in the building, they headed up to her station. They saw that there was a parcel on the counter, and as they approached then, they heard what the two were talking about.

"...delivered, but I have no way to have it sent to Oak Labs," the manager said.

"Well, I can deliver a message to Oak Labs tonight, but I won't be able to send it until our Pidgeotto delivery carrier returns from Fuschia City, and I don't know when it'll return," Nurse Joy replied with an inquisitive frown. "They really need a Center in Pallet Town."

"Um excuse me?" Red said, gaining the attention of the two adults. "Did you say that you need to send that parcel to Oak Labs in Pallet Town."

"Yes," the Mart manager replied. "Professor Oak ordered this package and asked for it to be shipped here to Viridian, but to get it over there, I have no way to send it to Pallet Town. My pick up truck is currently in the repair shop, and so I brought it here to the Pokémon Center to see if Nurse Jou could have it sent."

"But I won't be able to send it until our Pidgeotto carrier returns from Fuschia," Nurse Joy added.

"Well, we just came from Pallet Town, and we know Professor Oak," Leaf said.

"Wait you do?" the man asked with surprise. "Then can I ask you both a favor? Can you bring this package to Oak Labs then?"

That caught Red and Leaf by surprise. They had just arrived at Viridian City after more than half a day's worth of travel, and now it was approaching night time. Now, they were being asked to head all the way back to Pallet Town to deliver a package, thus delaying their journey by possibly another full day?

Eh, why not?

"Sure, we'll be glad to," Red said with a nod, and Lead smiled in agreement.

"Thanks, kids, you sure saved me right now," the man smiled as he gave the duo the package. "Tell the Professor I said hi." And with that, he left the Center.

"Guess tomorrow we'll be heading back to Pallet Town tomorrow," Leaf shrugged.

"Guess so," Red replied. Turning back to Nurse Joy, he asked. "Nurse Joy, can you heal my Pikachu?"

"And my Bulbasaur?" Leaf asked.

"Of course," Nurse Joy replied with a smile. The teens gave her their Starters, with Red explaining the situation with Pikachu not wanting to go into its PokéBall, and then were given a room key for their stay in the Center for the evening, Room 15.

"You know, Leaf," Red said, "you don't have to come with me back to Pallet. You can go on ahead, this'll just delay you. I'll be able to-"

"You're not getting rid of me so easily, Red," Leaf replied as she playfully slapped his head. "I'm coming with you. We're travelling together for now, so we're sticking together for now. Besides, it'll just be a day we lose, no big deal."

"Fine, if that's what you want," Red sighed with a shrug, before smiling. "C'mon, let's get some sleep."

"Wonder where Blue is, though?" Leaf wondered.

**XXX**

***In Room 14...***

"And Blue is the new Kanto Champio...zzzzz..." the orangette snored as he carried on sleeping.

* * *

Red's Pokémon:

1) Pikachu (?)

Ability: Static

Moves: Thundershock, Growl, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, (?)

* * *

Leaf's Pokémon:

1) Bulbasaur (?)

Ability: Overgrow

Moves: Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf

* * *

Blue's Pokémon:

1) Squirtle (?)

Ability: Torrent

Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Bubble, Rapid Spin

* * *

_**XXXXX-A/N-XXXXX**_

_**I feel like towards the end, I rushed. I don't know, it flowed when I was writing it, and it all just came to me, but reading it over, it felt a bit rushed and undetailed. What did you guys think about the end?**_

_**Alright, anyways, that's chapter three! I wanted to have Leaf and Red battle since they didn't get the chance last chapter. I'm thinking of having a rivalry of sorts between Pikachu and Bulbasaur throughout the story. Also, in case I forgot to mention it before, in this story Pokémon will know and learn moves according to Gen 4 movesets and the like, fairy types don't exist, and I'm not sure if I'll be bringing in Mega Evolution.**_

_**Next chapter, the trio get their PokeDexes and restart their journeys from the top!**_

_**Until next time, readers.**_


End file.
